'Sadistic' killer Gary George inspired by The Loved Ones

Man jailed after copying scenes from favourite Aussie horror movie to murder his best friend

A BRITISH man who tortured and mutilated his best friend using a "cruel and sadistic" ritual he copied from his favourite horror movie has been jailed for a minimum of 30 years.

Gary George, 41, was "obsessed" with witchcraft and horror movies, particularly the cult 2009 Australian feature, The Loved Ones. He initially denied murdering Andrew Nall, 53, whose body was found lying in a pool of blood in the bedroom of his flat in Chester in August last year, but changed his plea to guilty last week as the three-week trial was coming to a close.

The court heard that George beat his victim and cut him with a knife 49 times. He used the knife to carve a wound into Nall’s stomach which he poured salt into. He also squirted a liquid, thought to be cleaning fluid, into the older man’s eyes while he was still alive.

In The Loved Ones, a deranged young woman called Lola carves the outline of a heart into the male protagonist’s chest using a fork. She then throws salt into the wound.

Passing sentence on George today, Judge Elgan Edwards said: "This was a cruel and vicious attack. It was also a sadistic attack. I am satisfied that in behaving in the way you did, you were aping the conduct in a film of which you were obsessed, namely The Loved Ones."

After the killing George, a homeless alcoholic, went into an off-licence where he told the shop assistant: "I've just killed my best mate."

The Daily Telegraph says George showed no emotion today as the judge told him he took advantage of the fact that Nall, an alcoholic, was drunk. "You killed him in a most cruel and sadistic way and you enjoyed doing so," Judge Edwards said.

George was apprehended after he assaulted another man with a broken bottle only ten hours after he killed Nall. In his police interview he admitted he had murdered someone, but made false accusations against his victim, claiming he was a paedophile and a rapist.